Star Trek: Explorations
by Cerv23
Summary: The U.S.S. Virginia and her crew, on the ship's first day out of dock, encounter a damaged shuttlecraft drifting in space holding a deadly enemy.


Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Star Trek, but these characters and ships were my creation.

Cerv23: Ok. This is one of a couple Star Trek fics I had forgotten about. I made up all these people. Maybe if I get good reviews I'll do another fic or two concerning them. Enjoy!

The Changing Face of the Enemy

"U.S.S. Virginia prepare for departure," announced the ensign on the space station. The ship was piloted out into open space. On the ship sat Captain Calvin Sarious, ensign Thymes, Lieutenant Commander Aldarphias, and Nurse Zed Parkin. This was the science vessel's first mission.

"Captain, what is our first stop on the way to the Triumphant?" asked Aldarphias, an Andorian. He wore a uniform that was a little different then regulation. It was his privilege to wear it. His boots went up half way to his knee. On the side, near the heel, was the Starfleet emblem. And around his waist was a belt with packs on it. They could hold a variety of objects. It was useful for away missions.

"Our only stop is to pick Commander Mitch Cohen and Doctor Gene Branon," replied the captain. He stroked his hand through his black hair.

"Captain, there is something on the scanner," said Chelsy Thymes. Her ponytail swayed as she turned her head. There was a streak of pink hair in it.

"What is it?" ordered Calvin.

"It appears to be a runabout. And its damaged," said Aldarphias.

"Alter course to intercept," said Calvin.

"I'll get to sickbay in case there are any people who need medical attention, on board," said Parkin.

A little while later, in sickbay, Parkin looked over some reports. He was in charge until Doctor Branon arrived.

"Parkin, the Captain said there was no one on board," said one of the ensigns on duty.

"I am in charge here. You can treat me with some respect," said Zed Parkin.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't know you Orions wanted respect," replied the ensign.

The ensign walked away. Zed Parkin continued working even with the sudden aggression he was feeling.

"I'm sorry sir, but the Virginia sent a subspace message saying they encountered a runabout, and they will be awhile," said the commander at the space station.

"Not the way you want to start a mission, without a chief medical officer," said Doctor Gene Branon.

"You're not the only one," said Commander Mitch Cohen from behind.

"Hiya Mitch," said Gene.

"How long do you think they'll be?" asked the Commander.

"Who knows?" was the Doctor's only reply.

"All Senior officers, please report to the conference lounge for a meeting," came the voice throughout the ship.

The Captain sat waiting for the rest of the senior officers. His Andorian science officer Aldarphias, the Bajoran councilor Hyar NeDaa, the human security officer Taylor Roberts, the temporary Orion chief medical officer Zed Parkin, and the human chief engineer Alex Burkston were still not here. Aldar, Parkin, and NeDaa were his only non-human senior officers.

They walked in right on cue.

"Aldarphias what was the runabout's status?" asked Calvin.

"It was very damaged. It almost fell apart in the tractor beam. The only thing the security team found was a strange box," reported Aldarphias.

"And you don't know what it is?" asked Taylor. "I told you I should have handled it. As long as it's in a safe place."

"It is. It is in the shuttlebay with the runabout. It is like a puzzle box," answered Aldar.

"I want that box kept under security's eye. It doesn't seem right for just a box to be in a damaged runabout. And now that this is over I want to pick up our two missing officers and the rest of the crew," ordered Calvin.

"Aye sir," said Taylor.

It was cramped. Even though it liked being in its liquid state; it didn't like the box. As soon as it was time he would escape and no one would know.

"Captain we have arrived at space station six. Commander Cohen and Doctor Branon are being transported over," said ensign Reana.

"Have them sent to my readyroom," said Calvin as he headed toward the back of the bridge and to his readyroom.

"So who is this Commander Cohen?" asked ensign Reana when the captain was gone.

"He served on the Enterprise until Starfleet assigned him to several top secret assignments with the Dominion. Of course since the war with the Dominion is over he requested that he have a post on a starship again," said Aldar.

"Did you memorize that?" asked ensign Thymes.

Reana laughed. Taylor's communicator suddenly interrupted them.

"Lieutenant Taylor, there has been a security breach in the shuttlebay," reported ensign Tusak.

"I'm on my way. Aldarphias inform the Captain," said Taylor as he headed for the turbolift.

Just as he left Mitch and Gene entered. Aldarphias stood up and showed them to the captain.

"Captain, there has been a security breach in the shuttlebay," said Aldarphias.

"The shuttlebay with the damaged runabout?" asked Calvin.

"Yes."

"What runabout? Captain, I think we should be briefed," said Mitch.

"Lieutenant Aldarphias, report to the shuttlebay and assist Lieutenant Taylor," Calvin said, then turning his attention to the Doctor and the Commander. "On our way to pick up you we encountered a damaged and abandoned runabout. The security team found a strange box."

Taylor hurried into the shuttlebay. He had been talking to ensign Tusak on his communicator when suddenly there was no response. He informed the captain. He said that he had sent Aldarphias.

"Ensign Tusak. Report. Where are you?" he said to no one. "Where is that Vulcan."

It stepped out from the shadows. It stepped closer to the Starfleet officer. He was calling to his fellow officer. He turned.

"Ensign, why didn't you answer when I asked," said Taylor to the figure that looked like Tusak.

"It was a false alarm," said Tusak.

Aldarphias came in. He looked at Taylor and Tusak.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Tusak before Taylor could answer. Tusak quickly left the shuttlebay.

"What's his problem? I thought Vulcans weren't that emotional," Aldarphias said.

"Hey look! The cube has been opened!" yelled Taylor.

They glanced at each other and ran to the door. It wouldn't open. Taylor grabbed his phaser and fired. It was absorbed by a force field that had been placed around the shuttle bay.

"What happened?" screamed Taylor.

"Hey Tusak, what are you doing in Engineering?" asked one of Tusak's friends. He had temporarily stopped to enforce the shield around the shuttlebay. He didn't trust them once they found out that the box was opened. Now he had to take care of Engineering.

"Tusak?" the ensign asked with concern.

"I am on official business," he replied.

He walked over to a panel and started to plant a virus. The ensign stopped bothering him. He was almost finished when the Chief Engineer, Burkston, came over.

"Ensign what are you doing?" Alex asked Tusak.

Tusak turned and walked away. His mission would have to wait.

"Sometimes I think those security type want to take control of my engineering," Alex said to Reana who was doing her shift in engineering now.

"Maybe you should have the Counselor talk to him. If he talks about his "emotions"," joked Reana.

"Funny. But the captain wants an analysis on that box," ordered Alex.

Hyar was in her quarters. Her shift had ended and she wanted to relax. Maybe her mother had sent her another message. She wouldn't stop since the end of the Dominion War. She headed towards the replicator when she heard the chime announcing someone at the door.

"Come in," she said.

Ensign Chelsy Thymes stepped in. She looked worried.

"Have you seen Aldarphias? We were supposed to try out a new fighting simulation on the holodeck," she said.

"Didn't you use the computer? Or ask Taylor," Hyar said. Aldarphias was a pretty good fighter. Even though he was more interested in science he liked to test his Andorian body to find its weaknesses and strengths. And Chelsy always loved a workout. Chelsy and Aldarphias were very good friends. Sometimes it seemed they were too close.

"The computer couldn't locate them. And I can't locate Taylor either," Chelsy said.

"Computer, where is Aldarphias?" Hyar asked. She had to make sure that it was nothing.

"Lieutenant Commander Aldarphias can not be located," replied the computer.

"Where is Lieutenant Commander Roberts?" Hyar demanded.

"Lieutenant Commander Taylor Roberts can not be located," replied the computer again.

"Taylor, report," Hyar said as she tapped her communicator.

"I told you," said Chelsy.

"Captain, I cannot contact or locate Taylor Roberts and Aldarphias," said Hyar to her communicator.

"Are you sure of that," replied Calvin.

"Yes captain," was her reply.

"I'll have a security team search down at the shuttlebay. That's where they were sent last," Calvin said.

"Go. The captain will take care of it," Hyar said. Chelsy left. She still wasn't satisfied.

"Our communicators won't work," complained Taylor.

"We're on a starship. Someone's bound to find us," Aldarphias said.

"Why don't you use that new tricorder you invented," said Taylor.

"OK," he replied. He grabbed his improved version of the tricorder. He had also created a new phaser. Starfleet had not yet approved it yet.

"Well! What kind of shield is that?" demanded Taylor.

Aldarphias stood calm," It appears that it is being generated out in the hall. A rerouted circuit. But I don't know how to shut it down."

"We could over ride the circuitry," Taylor said as he headed for a conduit in the wall. He reached out and tried to open it, but his hand was stopped by the force field.

"Very impressive. They've put the force field directly in the room. But What I really want to know is who did this?" mused Aldarphias.

"Did you hear that?" asked Taylor.

"Hear what?"

Taylor ran over to the runabout ", That."

Aldarphias followed", I'm not quite sure I understand."

Taylor pried open the door to the runabout. They both gasped. Tusak was tided up inside. His mouth gagged. Taylor ran in and freed him.

"Thank you sir," said Tusak.

"But if you're here, then who was that Tusak?" asked a confused Taylor.

"It is logical that it was a changeling," replied Tusak.

"Yes. That would explain it," said Aldarphias.

They were interrupted as a blast shorted the force field. The doors swished open and a security team of three rushed in.

"Quick! Search the ship for an imposter Tusak!" yelled Taylor at the security team.

Aldarphias tapped his combadge ", Captain, there is a changeling on the ship."

"I hear you," was his reply.

"Captain, this is a problem. How much longer until we reach the Triumphant?" asked Mitch.

"Another two hours at least," Calvin replied. They both sat in Calvin's ready room.

"We will need an anti-changeling device. We could use polaron emitters. But we would have to create them. The easiest, but not the most effective, would be sweeping the area with a phaser riffle. That way we can find it and destroy it," said Mitch.

"Now lets not get to hasty. We don't know what it wants," cautioned Calvin.

"I'll inform Lieutenant Taylor to tell his men to use phaser riffles. And only to stun," Mitch added quickly. "Lieutenant Taylor … respond immediately."

The captain glanced at Mitch. He jumped out of his seat and ran for the door. He slammed into a force field.

"Damn," was his only response.

"Nurse, get this patient to a biobed. And get me a hypospray," ordered Gene to Zed. He had been very useful around sickbay. He had even done a fine job starting the ship's crew's physicals.

Suddenly the lights flickered and went out. Zed had just put the patient on the biobed when it happened.

"Doctor, we need power if we want to save him," pointed Zed to the officer lying unconscious.

He tapped his combadge ", Doctor Branon to Captain Sarious." No response.

"And look," Zed showed the Doctor of the force field that now surrounded sickbay. He grabbed a phaser and fired on the wall. The force field rippled when it hit.

Aldarphias was taking Tusak to sickbay when the lights went out. They stopped out side of sickbay. Aldarphias could see one of the nurses trying to blast an exit.

"Another force field," concluded Tusak. Aldarphias agreed. From one of the pockets around his waist, he brought out his manipulated phaser. Aldarphias adjusted it and fired. It melted the door enough for it to be pried open. With Tusak's help it was open.

"Get us out of here!" yelled Gene. A different setting and he fired. The force field winked out quickly.

"Hurry. It might not last. All I did was create a frequency so it couldn't operate," said Aldarphias.

"Stay here. If that man gets any worse he may not survive," ordered Gene to his assistance. He ran out just as the force field came back to life.

Chelsy ran down the hall. There wasn't much light. Suddenly there was a figure in front of her. It was Tusak.

"Tusak what happened?" asked Chelsy.

He didn't say a word. His body shifted to a gelatinous state, then to a familiar form. It was hers. The changeling punched Chelsy in the face. Darkness enveloped her.

It was a long but tedious travel to the bridge. Tusak, Aldarphias, and Gene got out the Jefferies tube outside the bridge.

"Another force field!" said Gene. Aldarphias tried his phaser, but it didn't work.

Someone stepped up behind them. They turned to see Calvin. He grabbed his phaser and fired at the trio. They ducked in time. Tusak fired, but he was too late. Calvin quickly changed into the familiar form of a changeling. He pressed a button on a weird device and disappeared 

"Short range transporter … to the bridge," said Aldarphias as conferred with his tricorder.

"Quite possibly we could use the Virginia's circuitry the way he did," Tusak commented.

"Yes," was Aldarphias's reply. Tusak worked at it until the force field around the bridge winked out. A phaser blast opened the door. They ran in. The Captain, Mitch, and Chelsy were unconscious. They rested in the three main chairs in the middle of the room.

"Where is he?" asked Gene.

"Right here my inquisitive doctor," said the changeling from the front of the bridge near the view screen. They looked. There he stood.

"What do you want?" asked Tusak.

"Your ship of course. The Dominion would love it," was his response.

"But the Dominion War is over," said Gene.

"Not if I bring a prize like this home," he laughed. "There are still ones like me who think that the war isn't over until we win!"

Calvin stirred in his chair. The changeling was distracted long enough for Aldarphias and Tusak to fire their phasers. The changeling was caught off guard. A look of horror seemed to be carved on his face. His body seemed to dissolve.

"Good job," was all the captain could say before he became unconscious again.

"Calvin will be fine. So will Chelsy and Mitch," said Gene to the rest of the senior officers.

"My engineering crews have fixed all the damage that annoying changeling did," reported Alex.

"And I have submitted the report to Starfleet," added Aldarphias.

"Good, because we are half an hour away from the Triumphant," said Taylor.

"And I hope we don't encounter any more Dominion schemes," said an exhausted Gene. They all left the Observation Lounge. Hyar headed for her office. She had a busy day. Sometimes first-time ensigns didn't do very well in such circumstances. This would be an interesting mission.

The End


End file.
